A Favour for the Devils from the Reds?

What does it take for a supporter to wish a defeat for his team in Football? Pride of not being taken over as the most successful team in the history of the League? Pride of not letting your arch-rivals get one-up on you? Liverpool fans might want that pride to dictate their support when Liverpool take on Chelsea at Anfield on Sunday in what is most definitely the title decider.

Will Liverpool stop United from lifting their 19th Premier League title?

The coveted 19th

Chelsea visit Anfield leading Manchester United by a point and any slip-up against Liverpool will leave the door-to-the-title open for United. Liverpool have a decorated history and have been one of the most successful clubs in England. However, United have ruled over the Premier League ever since its inception in 1992, winning 11 titles and being a far more dominant force over the last two decades than the Merseysiders. The Red Devils now need a massive favour from the Reds to help them win their fourth successive League title and overtake Liverpool in the overall tally with19 titles. Liverpool fans would not mind a defeat against Chelsea if that result stops United from taking the lead.

Remember 1995?

The scenario is a repeat of 1995 when Blackburn visited Anfield on the last day of the League requiring a win to pip United for the title. That day Liverpool did a huge favour to United by beating Blackburn 2-1 only for United to draw at West Ham and hand the title to Blackburn. History could repeat if United do drop points in their remaining 2 matches against Sunderland and Stoke City.

Lots to play for Liverpool

No player plays to lose and none of the Liverpool players will take the field on Sunday with an intention to make it easy for Chelsea, irrespective of what the fans might say. Rafael Benitez’s side still have an outside chance of finishing fourth and grabbing the final Champions League place if both Tottenham and Manchester City slip-up.  They also have Everton snapping close to their heals and would not want their bitter rivals to finish above them in the League.

Rampant Chelsea

Carlo Ancelotti’s men will be full of confidence after the 7-0 thrashing of Stoke City last week. The Blues showed exceptional character to bounce back from the 2-1 defeat to Tottenham and will fancy their chances against a Liverpool side which endured 120 minutes against Atletico Madrid in mid-week. Although the Reds were unfortunate to be knocked out of the Europa League on the away goals rule, their ability to conjure up 2 goals without their talisman Fernando Torres will inspire confidence in Rafael Benitez.

i Predict Liverpool 1 Chelsea 1

The crowd might not, for once, cheer for the home team. But the result might just ensure that the bragging rights might be unwillingly transferred to the Red Devils. 

 

 

Pivotal weekend in the Premier League

When I predicted in my season preview that Manchester City will finish in the top 4 in the League this season, little did I know that it could come at the cost of Manchester United’s title aspirations. In what is a pivotal weekend in the English Premier League, the top spot as well as the fourth position in the table could be sealed as City take on United in the Manchester Derby while Tottenham Hotspur host Chelsea in the London Derby.

Manchester City v Manchester United

Revenge for City

Forget the fourth place finish and the Champions League berth. Manchester City fans will have just one thought in their mind – Revenge. In the reverse fixture at Old Trafford earlier this season, the Eastlanders were denied any points by a dramatic stoppage-time winner in the arguably the match of the season. Michael Owen’s 96th minute goal left City fuming and questions were raised about time added to the stipulated 4 minutes of extra time. Back then, City were taking their first steps as a money-backed squad and the match was more about the Money of City versus the Class of United. A lot of water has flowed under the bridge since, and City have shown that the cash-rich club can play some attractive football.

Michael Owen's stoppage time winner will still hurt City fans

Tevez the key

One player who has been instrumental for City’s fine run is former United striker Carlos Tevez. After a bitter move from Old Trafford during the summer, the Argentinian marksman has scored 28 goals this season, including 10 in his last 8 matches. Tevez also found the back of the net 3 times against United when City came out second best over the 2-legged Carling Cup semifinal.  Roberto Mancini will hope his striker is on target again as City look to cement their place in the fourth and final spot for the Champions League.

Carlos Tevez has been in fine form

Final nail in the coffin for United

Sir Alex Ferguson has seen his season blow away in the last 3 weeks. A defeat to Chelsea followed by exit from the Champions League at the hands of Bayern Munich has spoiled what looked a pretty good season for the Red Devils. A goalless draw against Blackburn last weekend meant that Ferguson’s side will need generous favours from other teams (especially Chelsea) if they are to become the first team to win 4 successive Premier League titles. With a 4 point gap and  doubts over Wayne Rooney’s fitness, a defeat at the City  of Manchester Stadium could be the final nail in the coffin for United.

Sir Alex Ferguson has seen his side lose the title race in the last 3 weeks

i Predict Manchester City 2 Manchester United 1

Most of my United predictions go wrong and I hope the Red Devils can pull off a win at Eastlands. But considering City’s record at home this season (just 1 loss), I don’t see that happening.

Tottenham Hotspur v Chelsea

The London Derby at White Hart Lane will mean a lot more to Tottenham than to Chelsea. Chelsea might see United falter at Eastlands earlier in the day and that should ease the pressure of Carlo Ancelotti’s boys ahead of the match. Tottenham on the other hand could see City open up a 4 point gap and secure their place for the final Champions League spot. Harry Redknapp will hope that his team carries forward the form that saw them beat Arsenal in midweek. Heurelho Gomes was the star of that win after the Brazilian goalkeeper made vital saves to deny Robin Van Persie and Sol Campbell. Tottenham will need all of that brilliant performance and a lot more if they are to keep a rampant Chelsea at bay. Chelsea have scored 18 goals on their way to winning their last 5 matches and their recent form has made Carlo Ancelotti’s team firm favourites for the League and FA Cup double.

Harry Redknapp's team need to repeat their performance against Arsenal

Fight to the finish

A win over Chelsea will keep Tottenham up and running in a rather difficult home stretch. Tottenham will face Manchester United next weekend and if Harry Reknapp’s boys keep up their good form, the fight for the 4th place in the league should set up nicely when Tottenham visit Manchester City later in the season.

i Predict Tottenham Hotspur 2 Chelsea 1

Tottenham have won 2 and drawn 1 of their last 3 encounters against Chelsea at White Hart Lane. More importantly, Tottenham are undefeated in the last 6 matches at home, winning 5 of them and should be able to maintain their home record against Chelsea.

 

Test of Character for United

Chelsea could not have scheduled a better time to take on Manchester United as both teams go head-to-head in the clash of the top 2 in the English Premier League this Saturday. The winner at Old Trafford will have all but one hand on the League Title and Chelsea will certainly fancy their chances against a United team without Wayne Rooney.

The Big Clash

No Rooney for United

Sir Alex Ferguson will hope his week does not get more miserable after seeing his side go down to Bayern Munich midweek in the Champions League. United returned from Munich not just with a 2-1 defeat (and a horrible performance) but also without key man Wayne Rooney. The leading scorer in the Premier League this season twisted his ankle towards the end of that encounter and has been ruled out for at least 2 weeks. Dimitar Berbatov will take his place and Ferguson will hope that the Bulgarian replicates his last weekend’s performance against Bolton in this all-important clash.

Wayne Rooney will definitely be missed

Chelsea in hot form

With the FA Cup the only trophy in the cabinet in the last three years, Roman Abramovich is desperate for the League title this year, especially after being knocked out of the Champions League by Jose Mourinho’s Inter Milan. Chelsea have since found their gear, scoring 12 goals in the last 2 matches, including the 7-1 whopping of Aston Villa last week. That performance, along with a blank mid-week, would give Carlo Ancelotti confidence of achieving a league double over United at Old Trafford.

Chelsea have won just twice in last 10 at Old Trafford

United – A Champion side

Winning in the face of adversity is the hallmark of champion sides. And Manchester United are a champion side. Time and again, there have been questions raised against United. And each time the Red Devils have displayed a remarkable strength of character. The importance of Wayne Rooney for this United team can not be denied. He has played a key role in keeping United alive in both the Premier League and the Champions League. However, United are not a one-man team.  Many pundits had written United off at the start of the season after Cristiano Ronaldo and Carlos Tevez departed. United, however, have proved their detractors wrong and are still in the hunt for the top prizes in England and Europe.

i Predict United 2 Chelsea 1

Chelsea have won just twice in their last 10 matches at the Theatre of Dreams. I expect United’s strength to ensure record remains intact.

 

United v Liverpool – Rivalry Renewed

So why is Sunday’s clash between Manchester United and Liverpool of such high significance for both sides? Apart from being one of the oldest rivalries in the history of English Football, there is also a lot at stake for both teams as they go head-to-head at Old Trafford.

Red Devils v/s The Reds

For starters, the match could have a massive bearing on where each team finishes in the league this season. While United are looking to pip Chelsea and Arsenal on their way to win their fourth consecutive league title,  Liverpool  are slugging it out with Tottenham Hotspur and Manchester City for the fourth spot and an opportunity to feature in next year’s UEFA Champion’s League. United are tied with Liverpool at top with 18 league titles and could overtake Liverpool with a 19th title if they win all of their 8 remaining matches starting with Liverpool on Sunday. Rafael Benitez, whose future at Liverpool looks uncertain, will hope that Liverpool notch up a second successive league double over United and cause a serious dent to their title aspirations.

Time to exact revenge

Sir Alex Ferguson will also look to break United’s losing streak against the Merseysiders. The Red Devils have ended up on the losing side in each of the last 3 encounters, including a 4-1 loss in the corresponding fixture at Old Trafford last year. That defeat is still fresh in the memory of United’s supporters and a United win over their old foes will certainly help erase some of those bitter memories. Nemanja Vidic will also look to improve his form against the Scousers after having seen 2 Red Cards in the last 3 matches.

Key Players

Rooney and Torres will hold the key

Wayne Rooney, in the form of his life, will lead United’s charge as they seek revenge against their old foes. Ryan Giggs is declared fit and could play a massive role if he replicates his magical form. For Liverpool, Steven Gerrard and Fernando Torres will hold the key to improve on what has been a torrid season for the Reds.

i Predict Manchester United 3 Liverpool 1

Rooney could be the big difference in a match that could prove decisive in the title race this season.

 

It’s time to vrooommm…

The sport is back with a brand new season. And so is the legend. Arguably the biggest icon in the history of the sport, Michael Schumacher is back to where he belongs – Formula One. 7 time world champion Schumacher made the last decade of the sport virtually his own until he retired in 2006. At the start of a new decade, he is back to what he does best – race in a Formula One car.

Michael Schumacher is back in Formula One

Competitive line-up

The 2010 Formula One championship is being billed as one of the most exciting in recent years. And with good reason. Not since 1999 has the driver’s lineup been so competitive with 4 world champions – current champion Jenson Button, 7-time champion Michael Schumacher, 2005 and 2006 champion with Renault Fernando Alonso and 2008 champion with McLaren Lewis Hamilton – lining up at the starting grid.  The former Red Baron Schumacher, now racing for the Mercedes Silver Arrows, will resume his rivalry with Ferrari’s new driver Alonso and McLaren’s Hamilton, while Button’s addition to the McLaren’s team will add a new dimension to the title race. Giving them stiff competition will be last year’s runner-up Red Bull’s Sebastian Vettel (looking to finally get rid of his nickname Baby Schumi) and Ferrari’s Felipe Massa (returning from a life-threatening injury).

The main title contenders

Indian fans have much to cheer about as Karun Chandhok will become the 2^nd Indian after Narain Karthikeyan to race in a Formula One car. The former GP2 race winner will debut with the Hispania Racing F1 team and will be looking to make a mark amongst the rookies, which also includes his teammate Bruno Senna, nephew of late champion Aryton Senna.

Competitive Teams

The line-up has been expanded from 10 teams to 13 and 20 cars to 26. However, only 24 cars will be starting at Bahrain as the US F1 team chose to postpone its entry to 2011. On paper, McLaren, the first team ever to start the season with the last 2 title holders, look like the team to beat. The other contenders for the championship include 2009 dream team and champions Brawn GP, racing this year as Mercedes and with the experience of Michael Schumacher to bank on, Ferrari, who have looked strong in testing and have Fernando Alonso leading the charge, and Red Bull, who won the last 3 races in 2009.

Former champions Renault and Williams will also be looking to put up a strong fight. Vijay Mallya’s owned Force India will look to build on their performances of last year, when they took their first pole, points and podium finish. Lotus F1, which returns to the scene after 16 years, will hope to reignite their past glory while Toro Rosso and Sauber along with newcomers Virgin Racing and Hispania Racing F1 will all be hoping to put up a good show.

Mind the Rules

The FIA has made some notable changes to the rules and the scoring system in an attempt to make the sport more exciting and competitive. The most noteworthy is the ban on refueling during the race. The cars will have to start with a full fuel tank that can last the entire race. They will, however, be allowed to stop for tyre changes. Drivers, who reach the final qualifying phase, will have to start the race on the same set of tyres with which their grid time was set. Also, the Kinetic Energy Recovery System (KERS) used by McLaren and Ferrari last year, has been done away with.

The points system has been redesigned in order to encourage drivers to go for a win rather than settle for safe points. In the new system, the top 10 teams will pick up points, with the winner getting 25 points instead of 10.

Vrooommm...

The stage is set. The teams are lined up in the grid. The fuel tanks (& the drivers) are charged up to the brim. It’s time to burn some real rubber.  Let the show begin. Let the 5 lights illuminate and then go off. It’s time to vrooommm…

 

A Bridge too long for United

2nd placed Manchester United travel to Stamford Bridge to take on table-topping Chelsea in the Premier League this Sunday. It’s a match that might well decide who takes the lead and who needs to play catch-up for the rest of the season.

Chelsea have a 2 point lead over United in the League and start as favourites to widen that gap on Sunday. The Blues are unbeaten at the Bridge under manager Carlo Ancelotti and are yet to concede a goal at home since beating Hull on the opening day. In fact, the team from London has not lost to United at the Bridge since April 2002, a record that might well remain intact after Sunday’s clash.

Dangerous Duo: Drogba & Anelka

Manchester United have been far from impressive so far this season. United’s shambolic defence was exposed a fortnight ago in the 2-1 defeat against Liverpool at Anfield and more recently in the Champions League encounter against CSKA Moscow, when they conceded 3 goals at Old Trafford. And it doesn’t get better for United as Rio Ferdinand is certain to miss the tie against Chelsea. Johnny Evans is expected to fill in for Ferdinand and, along with Nemanja Vidic, will have the unenviable task of keeping the deadly duo of Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka at bay.  Drogba seems to be in the form of his life and has scored 6 goals in the last 5 appearances in all competitions. How effectively United’s defence can stand up to the challenge will decide whether the Red Devils take away any points from the Bridge.

Sir Alex Ferguson has not been able to fill the void left by the summer sale of  Cristiano Ronaldo. Antonio Valencia has not quite raised his game at United while Gabriel Obertan is yet to impress in his couple of appearances. And the less mentioned about Nani, the better. Ferguson will look to the old-warhorse Paul Scholes and Darren Fletcher to anchor the mid-field. Along with the magical Ryan Giggs, they will have to impose themselves on the experienced Chelsea mid-field comprising of Frank Lampard, Deco, Joe Cole and Michael Essien. Ferguson will also hope that Wayne Rooney, who recently became a father, continues his brilliant form.

Rooney will be the key for United

i Predict: Chelsea 2 United 1

United will have to have to come out all guns blazing if they hope to take anything away from the Bridge. Chelsea tend to play better in the second-half and have scored 20 of their 28 goals this season after half-time. The Red Devils have  failed to beat a top 4 side away from home since they won at Liverpool in 2007 and there is little to suggest that Ferguson’s side will be able to correct that against Chelsea at the Bridge.

 

Class takes on Money in the Manchester Derby

The 152nd Manchester Derby promises to be the most intriguing ever as Champions United take on the so-called new big boys Manchester City in a clash of Class against Money on Sunday.

First the Money

The blue half of Manchester has been basking in the glory of the money  brought in by the Abu Dhabi United Group’s takeover of the club last year. City spent close to 120 million euros in the summer to bring in names such as Emmanuel Adebayor, Kolo Toure, Gareth Barry, Carlos Tevez  and Roque Santa Cruz. Last week, City proved that those millions spent in the summer were good enough to beat one of the Big 4 (i.e. if you consider Arsenal Big 4 material anymore. I don’t. Find out why) when it brushed aside Arsenal 4-2 in a highly entertaining encounter. This weekend’s derby against United at Old Trafford might prove whether that money can take City to greater heights.

On the contrary, Manchester United made a fortune with the sale of Cristiano Ronaldo to Real Madrid for 80 million pounds. They spent little of that amount on acquiring the services of wingers Gabriel Obertan, who is yet to play a game for United, and Anotnio Valencia. Another big name to depart from United was Carlos Tevez. The Argentinian striker could not reach an agreement with Sir Alex Ferguson and subsequently joined rivals Manchester City for 25 million pounds.

Let’s talk about Class

Class or Money?

Manchester United have had a glorious run in the last 3 years, winning 3 successive Premier Leagues, the Champions League in 2008 and  an appearance in Champions League final last season. They also added the League Cup as well as the FIFA Club World Cup in their kitty last season. City, on the other hand, won their last trophy of any sorts back in 1976, when they won the League Cup. Their best finish in the last 3 seasons has been the 9th place achieved in 2007-08.

Teams in form

City’s manager Mark Hughes will have plenty of reason to believe that his team can win at Old Trafford. The Eastland’s club will go into the derby match on the back of it’s best-ever start to a season since 1961-62, having won all of its 4 matches in the league so far this season. Also, last weekend’s match against Arsenal was the first time City conceded a goal this season.

United, on the other hand, seem to have got into their groove after the early setback against Burnley. The Red Devils have won 4 successive matches since that defeat to Burnley, including the mid-week win over Besiktas in their Champions League opener.

Having looked at both the teams, I will put my money on United. Here is why:

1. Home advantage – Old Trafford

Manchester City have only won one of their 12 trips to Old Trafford in the Premier League, back in February 2008. Since that match, United have lost just one of their 26 games at Old Trafford (against Liverpool in March 2009), winning 23.

2. Injury/Suspension-hit City

Despite having spent all those millions, City find themselves with just one top striker in Craig Bellamy. Carlos Tevez will miss his return to Old Trafford due to a knee injury, Robinho is suffering from an ankle injury while Roque Santa Cruz is nursing his knee since his arrival at City. The biggest miss, though, will be Emmanuel Adebayor. The former Arsenal striker has looked in fine form, netting in each of City’s 4 matches in the league. His 3-match ban, resulting from his kicking skills (not of the ball) against Arsenal, couldn’t have come at a more inappropriate time for City.

3. Red-hot United

United might not have set the League on fire yet, but their performance against Tottenham Hotspur last weekend was filled with class. Despite going a goal down in the first minute, United kept their composure and displayed a performance worthy of Champions. They looked in complete control against a Tottenham side, which had a terrific start to the season under Harry Redknapp and had already beaten Liverpool. The old warhorses Giggs and Scholes were at their best and proved that there is no substitute for class. Wayne Rooney, too, has been at top of his game and could make that vital difference against City.

Wayne Rooney has been in top form

i Predict: United 2 City 1

It will be a close match but I expect United to take the opportunity to put City firmly in their place. And for Sir Alex Ferguson to tell all those looking at the signboard below: “That is the wrong side of Manchester!”

 

It’s time for the clash of the Champions

Pep Guardiola wants to be the first manager to win back-to-back titles, Sir Alex Ferguson calls it the biggest prize in Football, Carlo Ancelotti says it is the trophy he wants to win at Chelsea and Manuel Pellegrini hopes to see Real Madrid in the final on 22 May at the Santiago Bernabeu. It’s the clash of the best teams in Europe as the UEFA Champions League  2009-10 begins tonight. With as many as 8 teams making their debuts in this year’s competition, we can expect plenty of  excitement.  Let’s look at all the teams in the Group stage.

Group A

German Giants Bayern Munich have Juventus along with Bordeaux and debutants Maccabi Haifa FC for company in Group A. Having managed to retain Frank Ribery and add Arjen Robben in the summer, Bayern Munich will look to top the Group ahead of Juventus. Bordeaux will hope to spring a surprise while Maccabi Haifa FC will surely bring some joy to its Israeli fans, who will watch a Champions League match played on their soil for the first time.

Group B

Last year’s losing finalist, Manchester United will have to overcome  the elements  in addition to its opponents as it is drawn in the same group as Wolfsburg, Besiktas and CSKA Moscow.  Long trips to Russia and Turkey in the midst of a busy domestic schedule  have never been good for United and Sir Alex Ferguson will know that qualification is not going to be a walk in the park, especially without Cristiano Ronaldo, who was instrumental in United’s run to the final in each of the last 2 campaigns.

Group C

3 previous winners Real Madrid, AC Milan and Olympique de Marseille are joined by FC Zurich in this group of death. Madrid have all the pressure on its shoulder with big names – Kaka, Ronaldo and Benzema – joining the ranks in the summer. The fact that the final is scheduled to be played at the Santiago Bernabeu should be added impetus for the players to go beyond the last 16 for the 1st time in 6 years. Milan, without Kaka, will be no less dangerous and Marseille will definitely make it a fight for the top 2.

Group D

Chelsea’s manager Carlo Ancelotti will have to overcome the challenge of FC Porto, Atletico Madrid and APOEL FC in the group stage. Chelsea is tipped to be one of the top contenders for the trophy this year, but Ancelotti will be aware of the threat Atletico Madrid and FC Porto pose. Cypriot champions APOEL would be happy to get any points from their matches.

Group E

Liverpool might find it tough to win the domestic title but manager Rafael Benitez knows what it takes to win in Europe, having done it in 2005. Benitez faces the relatively easy challenge of Olympique Lyon, Fiorentina and Hungarian Champions Debreceni VSC. Lyon might find qualification for the last 16 difficult without the services of charismatic striker Karim Benzema, who joined Real Madrid in the summer.

Group F

Champions Barcelona will hope to be the first team to defend its title as it takes on Italian giants Inter Milan, Dynamo Kiev and newcomers from Russia FC Rubin Kazan. The goal-scorer for Barcelona in last year’s final, Samuel Eto’ will hope to fire against his former club after joining Inter in the summer. In exchange Barcelona acquired Inter’s striker Zlatan Abramovich and Pep Guardiola will hope his new signing delivers much more than he did for his previous club. Inter’s manager Jose Mourinho has failed to live upto the  club’s European expectations and he will hope that Eto’ will make an important difference to Inter’s fortunes. Dynamo Kiev could spring a surprise with Andriy Shevchenko at its disposal.

Group G

This group will see the lesser known names in Europe making their mark in the Champions League. Spanish side Sevilla is joined by Vfb Stuttgart, Rangers and debutants from Romania FC Unirea Urziceni. Sevilla will fancy its chances to qualify for the next stage while Rangers will want to make its mark ahead of Stuttgart.

Group H

Arsene Wenger will heave a sigh of relief as his young Arsenal team  avoided any of the big names in the group stage. The Gunners will be up against Olympiacos, AZ Alkmaar and Belgian champions Standard de Liège. Alkmaar and Standard de Liège are relatively unknown entities  in Europe and could spring a surprise or two.

 

A mouthwatering weekend in the Premier League

After the players sweated it out in the world cup qualifiers, its back to club football. And what a lineup we have in the Premier league. The top 6 teams in the table right now go head-to-head in 3 mouthwatering matches this Saturday.

Tottenham Hotspur v Manchester United

Tottenham Hotspur has an opportunity to prove its credentials as a top-4 team as it takes on Manchester United and Chelsea in back-to-back Premier League matches. Tottenham has got off to its best ever start in the Premier League with  4 successive victories, including a win over Liverpool on the opening day,  but manager Harry Redknapp will be aware of Tottenham’s poor record against Manchester United. The Lilywhites have not beaten the Red Devils in their last 16 meetings, with last year’s corresponding fixture ending in a goalless draw.

On the other hand, Sir Alex Ferguson will want a positive start to a testing week as United follow the visit to White Hart Lane with a trip to Turkey to take on Besiktas in their Champions League opener. That is followed by an even spicier than normal Manchester derby against cash rich City. The come-from-behind win over Arsenal in the last match proved that United were up and running for the season and Ferguson will hope his team exhibits the same strength and character throughout the tough week ahead.

The key battle will be the match-up between Aaron Lennon and Patrice Evra. The right winger has had a sensational start to the season and has been terrorising defenders with his pace and his crosses into the box. That said, if there is any full back in the League who can stop him, it’s Evra.

With Tottenham having conceded in each of its matches this season and both Wayne Rooney and Jermaine Defoe in red-hot form, one can expect plenty of goals in this exciting encounter.

i Predict : Tottenham 2 Man Utd. 2

Manchester City v Arsenal

Emmanuel Adebayor and Kolo Toure face Arsenal for the first time since their summer transfers to Manchester City. Adebayor has scored in each of City’s 3 matches in the League this season and would love to add to his tally against his old club. Much is expected of City after its big-money signings in the summer (I predicted a top-4 finish for City in my season-opening preview) and this will be Mark Hughes’ first real test to prove that it was money well-spent. Hughes will be hoping for a repeat of the result of last year’s corresponding fixture  when City beat Arsenal 3-0 at the City of Manchester Stadium. Hughes, though, will be without the services of Carlos Tevez, who twisted his knee against Brazil last weekend.

Arsenal head back to Manchester after its 2-1 loss to United couple of weeks ago. That defeat exposed the mental weakness in the Arsenal squad and Arsene Wenger will be hoping his young squad can face upto the challenge from the Blue end of Manchester this time around. Andre Arshavin, who scored Arsenal’s lone goal in that defeat to United, will miss the match after aggravating the groin problem he suffered against United. Wenger will be hoping Van Persie and Co. deliver against a City defence that is yet to concede a goal in the League this season.

Expect Adebayor to put one past his old club in this match-up which should establish City’s arrival to the top league.

i Predict: Manchester City 2 Arsenal 0

Stoke City v Chelsea

The match might not showcase football to savour but it should be an exciting  clash nevertheless. Table-topping Chelsea will visit the Britannia stadium vary of Stoke’s home record, which includes 3 consecutive wins. Stoke City are 5th in the table and manager manager Tony Pulis will look to erase memories of his last meeting with Chelsea when Stoke was robbed of victory by 2 late goals after having led till the 88th minute of the match. Chelsea have looked in superb form so far this season and inspite of the transfer ban imposed by FIFA, manager Carlo Ancelloti should not find it difficult to rally his troops to get the right result. Didier Drogba and Nicolas Anelka will look to continue their goal-scoring partnership upfront while defensively, John Terry and Ricardo Carvalho will have their task cutout against Rory Delap’s fizzing throw-ins.

Expect a scrappy encounter with Stoke making life difficult for Chelsea.

i Predict: Stoke City 1 Chelsea 1

 

The Big Clash – Manchester United v Arsenal

Manchester United take on Arsenal at Old Trafford on Saturday in the first big match of the season between the big four clubs. United-Arsenal matches are always crucial and this one more so as whichever team emerges victorious could well go on to dominate the league this season. 

Arsenal will be full of confidence as they travel to Old Trafford on the back of 4 successive wins, in which they scored 15 goals. Arsene Wenger’s young guns have enthralled everyone with their free scoring football so far this season. They kick started the season in style with a 6-1 demolition of Everton followed by a 4-1 drubbing of Portsmouth, results which have instilled great faith in Arsenal’s supporters. Arsenal also cruised past Celtic into the group stages of the Champions League in mid-week with Wenger fielding a young side with an average age of 23.9 years. Arsene Wenger will hope that his youth brigade continues its goal scoring spree but he will know that it is not going to be a walk in the park against the Red Devils.

Manchester United have had a stuttering start to their campaign. A 1-0 win over Birmingham in the opening match was followed by a shock defeat to Burnley. United bounced back to thrash Wigan Athletic 5-0 in an amazing 2nd half performance which saw Michael Owen get his first goal for United and Dimitar Berbatov get his first for the season. Sir Alex Ferguson has always relished his clashes with Arsene Wenger and will surely motivate his team to face up to the Gunners’ challenge. The last time these 2 sides met was in the Semi finals of the Champions League where United dumped Arsenal out of the tournament with a 1-0 win at Old Trafford followed by a 3-1 scoreline at the Emirates.

This time around though, United are without Cristiano Ronaldo, who was the key figure in that 2nd leg victory. However, Ferguson still has enough fire power to put it past Arsenal on Saturday. Wayne Rooney loves playing against Arsenal and would love to add a few to his tally of 101 goals for United. Dimitar Berbatov had an excellent outing against Wigan and Michael Owen could just turn out to be the trump card. United will be without Rio Ferdinand and Wes Brown is expected to fill in. Arsenal will miss captain Cesc Fabregas and it will be interesting to see who creates the play in the midfield in his absence. Wenger is expected to start both Robin Van Persie, who were rested against Celtic, and Andre Arshavin. They also have Eduardo, who could qualify for the Croatian Olympic Synchronised Diving team after his penalty-winning theatrics against Celtic. The key though could be Thomas Vermaelen, who will face his first major test as he come sup against Wayne Rooney.

Will Wenger’s boys triumph or will Ferguson’s Red Devils show their class? One important point to note is that Arsenal have conceded a goal in 3 of their 4 matches while United have just conceded 1 – the unstoppable volley by Burnley’s Robbie Blake. If United score, Arsenal will have a tough time because they cannot expect to score as any as they have done agaisnt other opponents so far. United might be a real test for Arsenal’s defence and how well the Gunners defence stands upto the United challenge could well decide the fate of the match.